Life, Times and Work of William Gillies, 1898-1973


Book Description

For seventy years, William Gillies has been seen as a placid painter of landscape and decorative still life. Andrew McPherson explodes this view to reveal a modernist whose response to the instabilities and violence of modernity touched universals of human experience. Gillies' idiom was shaped by institutions for artistic production unique to Scotland. But it was the politics of Scotland's connections to the rest of the British Isles that produced his mythic and misleading reputation.New paintings and new meanings are uncovered placing the micro-effects of modernity on mental health, family and community in the wider contexts of war, nationalism and public patronage. McPherson also shows how this changing world led Gillies towards new applications of modernist expression. Lavishly illustrated, and referencing almost one thousand works, this major reappraisal is an indispensable source on the cultural politics of a four-nation state and the reception of moder nism in Britain.




Face to Face


Book Description

The core of this book is a detailed examination of 100 British self-portraits in the remarkable Ruth Borchard Collection. The earliest include works by Raymond Coxon, Ithell Colquhoun, Carel Weight and Anne Redpath from the first half of last century, but most are from the 1950s and 60s, helping evoke an entire period in British art and its myriad developing strands. All kinds of artistic influences are to be seen here - art school academicism, Camden Town, Expressionism, the Euston Road School, Kitchen Sink, continental Existentialism. The Collection is full of revelations of once relatively obscure artists who have gone on to become critically appreciated, along with artists of stature who have been unfairly neglected. Each portrait is accompanied by a text discussing the work in some detail, the artist's background and development and any relevant writings. In all, self-portraits by 220 artists are illustrated, mainly in color.




The Spectator


Book Description







A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art


Book Description

This unique and authoritative reference work contains more than 2,000 clear and concise entries on all aspects of modern and contemporary art. Its impressive range of terms includes movements, styles, techniques, artists, critics, dealers, schools, and galleries. There are biographical entries for artists worldwide from the beginning of the 20th century through to the beginning of the 21st, from the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto to the French sculptor Jacques Zwobada. With international coverage, indications of public collections and publicly sited works, and in-depth entries for key topics (for example, Cubism and abstract art), this dictionary is a fascinating and thorough guide for anyone with an interest in modern and contemporary culture, amateur or professional. Formerly the Dictionary of 20th Century Art, the text has been completely revised and updated for this major new edition. 300 entries have been added and it now contains entries on photography in modern art. With emphasis on recent art and artists, for example Damien Hirst, it has an exceptionally strong coverage of art from the 1960s, which makes it particularly ideal for contemporary art enthusiasts. Further reading is provided at entry level to assist those wishing to know more about a particular subject. In addition, this edition features recommended web links for many entries, which are accessed and kept up to date via the Dictionary of Modern Art companion website. The perfect companion for the desk, bedside table, or gallery visits, A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art is an essential A-Z reference work for art students, artists, and art lovers.




The Artist


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John Maxwell, 1905-1962


Book Description

John Maxwell's work - with its poetic and symbolist qualities - sets it apart from much of Scottish art. This book is a timely reassessment of one of the most imaginative and individual artists to come out of Scotland this century.




Sydney Goodsir Smith, Poet


Book Description

Sydney Goodsir Smith, Poet: Essays on His Life and Work offers the first substantial work to assess his life and writings since his premature death in 1975. Considered a major figure in the second wave of Hugh MacDiarmid’s ‘Scottish Literary Renaissance’, Smith’s unique body of work has largely fallen from critical discussion of post-war Scottish literature. This book remedies this by showing how his work may have fallen out of favour, and then by reappraising his distinctive and varied achievements in poetry, drama, art and art criticism, the novel and translations. Early career and established academics explore the many strands of his work as the best way of giving this multifaceted literary figure renewed attention.